Refuse body



Aug; 1946- J. F. HEIL ETAL 2,406,015

REFUSE BODY Filed May 18, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HTTOENZ'Z/S.

J. F- 'L ET AL REFUSE BODY Filed May 18, 1945 Y 2 Sheet 2 Patented Aug.20, 1946 2,406,015 REFUSE BoDY Joseph F. Hail and Arthur H. Samuelsen,Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to The Heil 00., Milwaukee, Wis, acorporation of Wisconsin Application May 18, 1945, Serial No. 594,422

15 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in refuse bodies and moreparticularly to a vehicular refuse collecting body having'mechanicallyoperated means for facilitating the loading and unloading thereof.

A general object of the invention i to provide Various improvements inthe details of construction of bulk material carried vehicular bodies,whereby such bodies may be efficiently, automa'ti cally loaded orunloaded.

Refuse, garbage and rubbish ordinarily picked up in street collectionservice is of a loose uncompacted nature and when such material isdeposited in a collection vehicle the uncompacted bulk material willrapidly fill up the vehicle body and prevent the entry of more refuselong, before the prescribed body load in weight is attained. Thisdiificulty can be overcome by compacting the refuse whereby the vehiclebody may be more effectively and efficiently filled and the capacitythereof is greatly increased.

With the above in mind it is, therefore, a primary object of the presentinvention to provide in a refuse body equipped with mechanical loadingmechanism, improved means operating automatically to pack and compressbulk refuse as it piles up in the body during loading operations.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a refuse bodyequipped with a swingable armcarried loading bucket, a packing panel orplate connected to the bucket-carrying arms to be automatically operatedthereby, whereby movements of said packing panel into and out ofoperative position are coordinated with loading and return movements ofthe bucket.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a mechanicallyloading refuse body, a powered refuse pushing or packing panel whichalso serves as a controlled closure member or cover fo the loadingopening in the refuse body.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a mechanicallyloading refuse body, a combination refuse pushing panel and loadingopening cover so associated with the operating mechanism that when theloading bucket is swung to load depositing position said panel issimultaneously moved to open position relative to the body loadingopening, and when the loading bucket is swung to its lowered positionsaid panel is simultaneously moved to its load packing position whereinit also closes the body loading open- A further object of the inventionis to provide, in a mechanically loading refuse body, a charge conveyingbucket equipped with a movably mounted cover arranged to gravitate toopen position when the bucket is in its raised, tilted, chargedepositing position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanically loadingrefuse body having a power packer or pusher plate operatively associatedwith the bucket swinging arms and movable from exteriorly of the bodyinto an internally projecting position, the connections between saidplate and the bucket operating arms being entirely external of therefuse body and eliminating the need for slots or additional openings inthe body walls.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a mechanicallyloading refuse body including a swingable loading bucket and armscarrying the same and a hinged tail gate for the body having operatingcables, springs housed in said bucket arms for normally maintaining thetail gate cables in a retrieved, non-dangling condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a refuse body which isof very simple construction, which has a, large capacity for bulk refuseand which will store the same for transportation in a covered, sanitarycondition, which is efficient and automatic in operation, which isattractive in appearance, and which is Well adapted for the pur- Dosesdescribed.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of theimproved refuse body, and its parts and combinations as set forth in theclaims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference charactersindicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a rear and-side perspective View of an improved refuse bodymounted on a motor truck, and with the loading bucket in its loweredposition and the rear end gate locked;

Fig, 2 is a rear and side perspective view of the refuse body with theloading bucket in its raised position, the tail gate operating cablesengaged with the tail gate, and the latter in open position; and

Fig. 3 is a side View of the refuse body with the loading bucket inlowered position, there being a broken line showing of the loadingbucket in raised position with the refuse pushin panel in its open,outer position, portions of the refuse body being broken awa and insection.

While the invention has been shown and described herein as beinspecifically embodied in a particular type of refuse body tiltablymounted upon the rear of an ordinary motor-driven truck, and having aparticular style of loading bucket associated therewith, it is not theintent to thereby unnecessarily restrict the scope of the presentinvention.

The improved refuse body and truck assemblage, shown in the drawings,comprises in. general, a relatively standard transporting truck or motorvehicle having a chassis is mounted on front and rear wheels H and i2respectively. A load-carrying hollow body i3 is secured to a subframe Mwhich is tiltably connected to the rear end of the chassis l above thewheels l2 by a transverse pivot member l5. the body for unloadingpurposes there is a main hydraulic hoist or jack having a cylinder 15secured by trunnions to the chassis ID with a piston l1 slidable withinthe cylinder 16 and connected by a pivot pin 3 to a sub-frame liftinglink. A loading bucket I9 is tiltably supported by side arms 28 securedto a transverse pivot shaft 2| journalled through the lower portion ofthe body 13 and having associated rigidly attached. lever arms 22 whichare engaged by the pistons 25 operating in the cylinders 23 of auxiliaryhydraulic jacks or rams, said jacks or rams being movably connected tothe body by pivots 24. The inner ends of elongated connecting rods 26are attached to lower portions of the arms 20. Said rods 25 traverse theouter side portions of the body 13 and their upper ends, terminatingadjacent the top portion of the body it, are pivotally aflixed to acombination closure member and refuse pusher or packer plate 21 whoseouter wall, when the plate or panel 21 is in it lowered position, lodgeswithin and closes a loading opening in the top or the body i3. A rearend gate 23 is swingably suspended from the body 13 by means of hingedconnections 29 and the lower free edge of said tail gate 28 pivotallycarries latching hooks 30.

The hollow' load-carrying body 13 may be formed of sheet metal andextends from the rear of the truck cab 35 to a point'somewhat beyond therear end of the chassis II], and also extends outwardly beyond the rearwheels l2 so as to provide for maximum capacity. The front wall of thebody I3 is preferably disposed, in normal position, approximatelyvertically, while upright side walls of the body l3 are curved alongtheir tops and rear edges, and also somewhat along the upper portion ofthe front edge, and said side walls are rigidly interconnected on thetop side of the body by a curved transverse plate 35 in which the upperloading opening is formed and which terminates substantially forwardlyof the upper edge of the rear discharge opening. From Fig. 3 it will beapparent that said loading Opening extend from the line of hingedconnection 31 for the plate or panel 21 on the front wall of the body,to the transverserib 38 which acts as a stop for the front edge of saidpanel 21 when the latter is in its lowered position.

The loading bucket i9 is shaped, as is best shown in Fig. l, and isswingably suspended from the outer ends of the long bucket operatingarms 20 by pivotal connections 39. When the arms are in the loweredpositions of Figs. 1 and 3, the mounting of the bucket and the weightthereof is such as to cause the bucket to maintain the position shown.The open upper end of the bucket, between the extended wings of the endplates, is normally closed by a hinged cover 40 which may be manuallyopened by attendants to dump refuse into the bucket. The hingedconnection for-the cover 40 is along therear edge of the cover. The arms20, which are operated by the pistons 25 of To tiltably move theauxiliary jacks, through the levers 22, are adapted to be swung from thefull line position of Fig. 3 to the broken line position shown thereinand vice versa. By means of the pivotally connected operating rods 26,attached to the hinged panel 21, when the arms 28 move in an areupwardly, the panel is hingedly moved from the closing position, shownin Fig. 3, to the open position shown in broken lines, thereby exposingthe loading opening in the upperend of th body I3.

'When the bucket approaches a position adjacent the top of the body,projections on the bucket are cooperable with dogs 4! carried by thebody to tilt the bucket to the inverted load-discharging position shownin broken lines in Fig. 3, wherein the open end of the bucket registerswith the loading opening in the body and material may gravitate from thebucket into the body. It will be observed that the packing and coveringpanel 27 is formed with side wings which register with the tilted bucketand guard against material falling free of the loading opening. It willalso be observed that the cover 40 for the bucket 19 is so mounted andweighted that when the bucket is tilted, as in the broken line positionof Fig. 3, the cover 40 will gravitate to an open position.

The plate or panel 21 which serves as a closure for the body loadingopening and also as a material pusher or packer, besides having the flatouter sheet portion and projected side wings, is formed with inwardlyprojecting transverse ribs 27 which are of utility in the materialpacking and pushing function of the panel when in its inner position.After material has been deposited from the elevated, tilted bucket 29into the body through the loading opening, the auxiliary jacks areoperated to lower the arms 20 and return the bucket to the loweredposition illustrated. During this return movement the operating rods 26become eiiective to move the panel 21 from the broken line position ofFig. 3 to the inner full line position. Should material have accumulatedwithin the body, the movement of the panel into its lowered closingposition is effective to push and compress the loose bulk material toincrease the capacity of the body.

When the body I3 is in it normal, lowered load-receiving position, thetail gate 28 should be tightly sealed and the pivotal latch hooks 3!!are provided for thi purpose. As previously indicated, said tail gate isswingably suspended from hinge member 29 and the lower end of the bodyis provided with lugs or projections with which the hooks 30 arecooperable, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. While the latch hooks 30 may bereleased from their engaging locking positions manually, they may alsobe automatically released, together with automatic lifting of the tailgate through operation of the arms 20. This is accomplished by theutilization of cables 42 carrying hooks 43 on their free outer endportions (see Fig. 2). The arms 29 are hollow and each has the inner endportion of an elongated coiled spring 44 anchored within an inner endportion. The other extremity of a spring 44 carrie a protuberance 45 towhich is afilxed an inner end of a cable 42, the latter being slidablypassed through a stop lug 46 rigidly mounted within a portion of the arm20. When the cable 42 is not in use the spring 44 contracts and acts asa means to retrieve the cable to hold the outer end of the samecompactly against the outer end of the arm 28. When the cable 32 is tobe utilized for tail gate operating purposes it is extended relative toits arm'2ll, thereby expanding the spring 44 until the protuberance 45contacts the stop lug 46. With a cable thus extended, the hook 43 on theouter end thereof may be hooked into an aperture 41 in the end of thepivotal latch hook 30. Thereafter, when the arms 23 are swung upwardly,the pull imposed by the cables 42 will first pivot the hooks 30 tounlock the same and thereafter the attached cables 42 will pull the tailgate 28 to its open position, as in Fig. 2.

The tail gate is usually opened when it is desired to unload or dump outthe contents of the body l3 and for the latter purpose, after the tailgate has been opened, the main hydraulic jack is operated to cause itspiston ll to tilt the body relative to the chassis on the transversepivot [5. Upon return of the body I3 to normal position, and when thebucket lei lowered, the hooks 43 may be disengaged from the latchingmembers 3!! and the springs M will automatically retrieve the cablesrelative to the arms 29. The latching members 30 may be manipulated tolocking position to then hold the tail gate closed.

All of the hydraulic jacks may be supplied with liquid, such as oil,under pressure from a supply reservoir by connections common in the art.In the hydraulic system, as is common, is included a pump adapted to bedriven by the propelling motor of the truck.

During the normal use of the improved refuse loading and transportingassemblage, the body l3 will be in the lowered position, shown in Figs.1 and 3. The loading bucket i9 is then in its lowermost position readyto receive bulk refuse which may be disposed therein by attendantsstanding on the ground rearwardly of the truck. When the bucket H) hasbeen filled to capacity, the arms 26 are operated to then swing thebucket upwardly to the broken line position of Fig. 3 wherein the actionis, as previously described, with the panel 2! being automatically andsimultaneously moved to open position and the bucket being tilted todeposit its contents into the body i3. Thereafter the arm areoperated tolower the bucket for receiving subsequent batches of material which aresuccessively in troduced into the body until the same is completelyloaded. During each downward movement of the arms 23 to return thebucket, the panel 21 is automatically moved to the full line position ofFig. 3, and if the material n the body has accumulated, the panel willserve to push it downwardly and distribute it in the body and to packand compress it.

When the body i3 is thus efficiently filled, the load may be transportedto any suitable destination and subsequently dumped in the mannerpreviously described, wherein the cables 22 may be utilized forreleasing the locking members 3i and opening the tail gate 28 throughoperation or the swingable arms 29 in the manner shown 111 Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the presentinvention provides an improved refuse body assemblage which is simple,compact and durable in construction; which is safe and efiicient andmechanical in op eration; and which insures the filling of the body witha maximum load of compressed and distributed bulk material. The panel2?, in its connections with the bucket-operating arms 29, is operatedjointly with the bucket and serves the dual purpose of providing anautomatically operated closure for the loading opening of the body, andas a power material pusher or packer. The main 6. ram is utilized fortilting the bodyand the auxiliary rams or jacks actuate the operatingarms 20 for the bucket and panel and this provide for the efiicientapplication of power with the actuation of the members requiring aminimum force.

, The tail gate locking members 30 may be manipulated automatically andthe power of the arms 21] may be utilized for opening the tail gate 23through the cables 42. The retrieving means for said cables, housedwithin the arms 29, provides an effective arrangement which keep thecable confined and out of the way when not in use. The mechanism can bereadily manipulated by a single attendant in the drivers cab of thetruck and power is obtained from the same prime mover which normallydrives the truck.

The improved refuse body i furthermore of novel construction and is Welladapted for the purposes described.

What is claimed as the invention is:

-1. In a refuse truck body having an upper, forward loading openingtherein, a refuse receiving bucket normally adjacent the lower rearportion of said body, power means for elevating said bucket andmanipulating it so as to dump its contents into the body through saidloading opening, a combination closure and material packing panel, anddirect, positive connections between said panel and said bucketelevating power means for moving said panel into and out of the bodyrelative to said loading opening.

2. In a refuse truck body having an upper loading opening therein, arefuse receiving bucket normally adjacent the lower portion of saidbody, power means for elevating said bucket and manipulating it so as todump its contents into the body through said loading opening and tolower the bucket, a combination closure and material packing panel,hingedly mounted on the body to move through said loading" opening intoand out of said body, and direct, positive connections between saidpanel and said bucket elevating power means for positively moving saidpanel jointly with movements of said bucket in both directions and inrelation to bucket movements.

3. In a refuse truck body having an upper loading opening therein, arefuse receiving bucket normally adjacent the lower portion of saidbody,

power means for elevating said bucket and manipulating it so as to dumpits contents into the body through said loading opening, a combinationclosure and material packing panel, hingedly mounted on the body to movethrough said loading opening into and out of said body, and rodspivotally connected directly between said panel and said bucketelevating power means to positively move the panel.

4. In a refuse truck body having an upper loading opening therein, armspivotally mounted on the body, a refuse bucket movably mounted on saidarms and normally disposed adjacent the lower portion of said body,power means for swinging said arms in an arc to carry the bucket fromits normal position to said loading opening and return, a combinationclosure and material pushing panel hingedly mounted on the body to movethrough said loading opening into and out of said body, and rodspivotally connected directly between said panel and said arms.

5. In a refuse truck body having an upper loading opening therein, armspivotally mounted externally on the body, a refuse bucket movablymounted on said arms and normally disposed adjacent the lower portion ofsaid body, an hydraulic jack for swinging said arms to carry the bucketfrom its normal position to said loading opening and return, acombination closure andmaterial pushing panel hingedly mounted on thebody to move through said loading opening into and out of said body, androds pivotally connected directly between said panel and said arms totransmit motion from the latter to the former uponmovement of the armsin either direction.

6. In a refuse truck having an upper loading opening-therein, armshaving their inner ends externally pivotally mounted on side portions ofthe body, a refuse bucket movably mounted on the outer ends of said armsand normally disposed adjacent the lower rear portion of said body,power means for swinging said arms to move the bucket from its normallowered position to a dumping position in registration with said loadingopening and vice versa, a combination closure and material packing panelhingedly mounted on the body to move through said load ing opening intoand out of said body, and rods adjacent the outer side portions of thebody and directly connecting said panel to said arms to transmit motionfrom the latter to the former upon movement of the arms in eitherdirection.

'7. In a refuse truck having an upper loading opening therein, armshaving their inner ends externally pivotally mounted on side portions ofthe body, an open-ended refuse bucket movably mounted on the outer endsof said arms and normally disposed adjacent the lower rear portion ofsaid body in a substantially uprightposition, power means for swingingsaid arms to move the bucket from its normal lowered position to aposition adjacent said loading opening and vice versa, cooperating meanson the body and bucket effective upon a predetermined movement of saidarms to invert the bucket to cause it to dump its contents into the bodythrough said loading opening, a combination closure and material packingpanel hingedly mounted on the body to move through said loading openinginto and out of said body, and rods adjacent the outer side portions ofthe body and directly connecting said panel to said arms to transmitmotion from the latter to the former upon movement of the arms in eitherdirection.

8. In a refuse truck having an upper loading opening therein, armshaving their inner ends externally pivotally mounted on side portions ofthe body, an open-ended refuse bucket movably mounted on the outer endsof said arms and normally disposed adjacent the lower rear portion ofsaid body in a substantially upright position, a cover hingedly carriedby the bucket to control th open nd thereof, power means for swingingsaid arms to move the bucket from its normal lowered position to aposition adjacent said loading opening and vice versa, cooperating meanson the body and bucket effective upon a predetermined movement of saidarms to invert the bucket to cause it to dump its contents into the bodythrough said loading opening, th mounting and weight of the bucket coverbeing such as to cause it to gravitate to open position when the bucketis inverted, a combination closure and material packing panel hingedlymounted on the body to move through said loading opening into and out ofsaid body, and rods adjacent the outer side portions of the body andconnecting said panel to said arms to transmit motion from the latter tothe former.

9. In a refuse truck having an upper loading opening therein, armshaving their inner ends externally pivotally mounted on side portions ofthe body, a refuse bucket movably mounted on the outer ends of said armsand normally disposed adjacent the lower rear portion of said body,power means for swinging said arms to move the bucket from its normallowered position to a dumping position in registration with said loadingopening and vice versa, a combination closure and material packing anelhingedly mounted on the body to move through said loading opening intoand out of said body, said panel when in its fully opened position beingprojected upwardly outwardly relative to marginal portions of saidloading opening and being formed with projecting wings whereby the panelmay. serve as a guide hopper relative to materia1 dumped from the bucketthrough said loading opening, and rods adjacent the outer side portionsof the body and connecting said panel to said arms to transmit motionfrom the latter to the former.

10. In combination, a vehicle body having a loading opening and adumping opening, a gate hinged to the body and controlling the dumpingopening, a panel hinged to the body and controlling the loading opening,a bucket for loading the body with charges of material through saidloading opening, and common mechanical means for carrying the bucketfrom a loading point to a dumping position adjacent said body loadingopening, for hingedly moving said panel, and for operating said gate.

11. In combination, a vehicle body having a loading opening, a panelhinged to the body and controlling the loading opening, a bucket forloading the body with charges of material through said loading opening,and an arm oscillatable on the body and carrying the bucket to move thesame from a loading point to a dumping position adjacent said bodyloading opening and return and directly connected to said panel forsimultaneously positively moving said panel relative to the loadingopening in either direction.

12. In combination, a vehicle body having a loading opening, a panelhinged to the body and controlling the loading opening, a bucket forloading the body with charges of material through said loading opening,arms oscillatably mounted on the body and carrying the bucket to conveythe same from a loading point to a dumping position adjacent said bodyloading opening and return and also directly connected to said panel forsimultaneously moving said anel in both directions relative to theloading opening, and power actuated mechanical means for oscillatingsaid arms.

13. In combination, a vehicle body having a loading opening and adumping opening, a gate hinged to the body and controlling the dumpingopening, a panel hinged to the body and movable into and out of the bodythrough said loading dumping opening, latch members carried by the gateand engageable with the body, a panel hinged to the body and movableinto and out of thebody through said loading opening, a bucket forloading the body with charges of material through said loading opening,mechanically operated arms oscillatably mounted on the body carrying thebucket and directly connected with said panel for positively operatingboth the bucket and the panel in the normal position of the vehiclebody, and connections carried by the arms and releasably engageable withsaid latches for operating the latches and swinging the gate.

15. In combination, a vehicle having a loading opening and a dumpingopening, a gate hinged to the body and controlling the dumping opening,latch members carried by the gate and engageable with the body, a panelhinged to the body and movable into and out of the body through saidloading opening, a bucket for loading the body with charges of materialthrough said loading opening, mechanically operated arms oscillatablymounted on the body carrying the bucket and connected with said panelfor operating both the bucket and the panel, said arms having elongatedrecesses therein, and expansile and contractile cables anchored in saidarms and extending through said recesses, said cables when elongated,being detachably engageable with said latch members whereby, uponoscillation of the arms with the cables attached to the latch memberssaid latch members and the gate are automatically operated, and upondetachment of the cables from the latch members the cables arecontracted to be substantially housed within the arm recesses.

JOSEPH F. HEIL.

ARTHUR H. SAMUELSEN.

